Roll 'em: Bowling makes cool fun

It seems my kids have gotten into the habit of viewing me as their summer vacation activities director. So unless they are otherwise occupied— with, say, an overnight at a friend’s house or away at camp— it’s inevitable that, some time early each day, one of my boys will want to know, “So what are we going to do fun today, Mom?” One day, out of quick ideas, I turned the question back to them. “What do you think we should do today?” I asked. It was one of those unbearably hot and humid days, the kind where you pray for a thunderstorm just to ease the heaviness in the air. So I nixed the idea of going for a mountain bike ride on the trails at Observatory Hill. “What about something indoors?” I suggested.“Why don’t we go bowling?” one of them said.Well, yeah. Why not?Those who haven’t done it for a while may be surprised how much fun it is to knock down a few games at the bowling alley. Kegler’s Lanes is just the place for an afternoon outing away from the heat, with matinee rates before 5pm that include an even bigger discount for kids under 12. Tiny, two-handed bowlers don’t have to worry about gutter balls here; bumper rails are available in all 48 lanes. Even older kids who are just too cool to fling a granite ball at a bunch of tenpins with their baby sister watching can have a good time in the newly refurbished arcade room or at one of seven billiard tables.And speaking of cool, it seems that Kegler’s “Extreme Bowling” is the thing for Friday and Saturday night teen entertainment. It’s a dance club atmosphere where the lights go down, the music heats up, and the bowling gets awesome. Lasers, black lights, and fog machines add intensity, attracting a regular crowd of young folks out for some good, clean, extreme fun.

Kegler’s Bowling Lanes is on Rt. 29 north between Lowes and WalMart. Matinee rates are $3.95 for adults, $3.45 for kids under 12 per game. After 5pm it’s $4.95 per game. Shoe rental is $3.50 for adults, $3 for kids. Extreme Bowling happens every Friday and Saturday from 9:30pm-2am, and costs $5.45 per game. 978-3999